Pac-12 men’s basketball to expand conference schedule to 20 games

Arizona State's Kimani Lawrence, right, grabs a rebound over Oregon's Paul White during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Pac-12 men's tournament Friday, March 15, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The Pac-12 men’s basketball conference schedule for each team will increase from 18 to 20 games starting in the 2020-21 season.

A committee approved the change Thursday at a meeting after a recommendation from the league’s head coaches.

“We continually work with our membership to identify strategic initiatives which can lead to future success in Pac-12 men’s basketball. We believe moving to a 20-game schedule will lead to more competitive schedules and help our programs and league achieve our goals of enhancing the Pac-12 basketball brand and preparation for postseason play,” said Pac-12 deputy commissioner and COO Jamie Zaninovich.

The expansion of the schedule will include two additional Pac-12 games in November and December with a priority on planning weekend games when schools are in session.